Skopje’s environmental challenges
Before joining the Green Cities program in 2019, North Macedonia’s capital Skopje earned unwanted fame as Europe’s most polluted capital. Dense smog caused by particulate pollution claims an estimated 1,600 lives a year, according to a 2019 World Bank Report1
, robbing
this upper middle-income country of 5.2 to 8.5 percent of its gross GDP (2016 figure). One cause is the burning of high-polluting fuels, such as coal, in Skopje’s city center, particularly among its numerous apartment blocks, as only around one-quarter of the residents have electric heating. Inhabitants of the small houses on the fast-growing city periphery burn whatever fuel they can find: lignite, firewood, even tires or household waste. Added to the mix is exhaust from a car-dominated transport system and fumes from under-inspected industrial facilities, along with pollution from untreated sewage discharged into the Vardar River. These type of problems need long-term, joined-up thinking and investments to solve.
On board with the Green City Action plan
All cities with a population of over 50,000 are welcome to become an EBRD Green City. On joining, members commit to a “trigger” project using EBRD finance. Then, with support from the EBRD and expert consultancy advice, develop a Green City Action Plan (GCAP) tailored to the member cities’ unique needs for environmental improvement. The city then uses this information to establish a 10 to 15 year plan for green
development, as well as specific short- term action to help realize this vision. In Skopje’s case, the city is
envisioning a major transformation towards sustainable public transport by reducing the demand for cars. And thanks to a ¤70 million loan from the EBRD announced in April 2021, Skopje will become the first western Balkan city to introduce a Rapid Bus Transit system – with priority bus lanes, energy- efficient or hybrid buses and e-ticketing. Long-term aims are to reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 95 percent,
1
https://bit.ly/3yfr6Hu
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PHOTO: jordeangelovic/
Shutterstock.com
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